Revision in context | Quick guide

What is “Revision in Context”?

• Where? This section starts around question 31 of each Praxis Core Writing Exam (after the Usage and Error ID question formats, but before Research Skills and the Essays)
• Passage length: about 300 words

What question types will I see in the Revision in Context passage?

General strategy for the Revision in Context section

Step 1: Read the passage actively

• What’s the point?: While you won’t be tested on the information contained in Reading in Context passages, you will need to understand the general point of the passage. The topic of the passage is important, but more important is what point the passage is making about the topic.
• What is each paragraph doing? As you work through the passage, review the point being made by each paragraph. Try to reframe it in your own words to get a strong hold on it.
• What’s out of place? While you won’t likely be ready to start making revisions, you may notice an error or two the first time you read the passage. Make a note of anything that seems out of place, whether it’s a vague pronoun, a sudden verb tense shift, or an abrupt change in topic. There’s a good chance this out-of-place element will serve as a clue for the answer to one of the questions.

Step 2: Answer the questions

• Work from the beginning to the end: The questions in this part of the test progress sequentially through the passage, so it’s best to answer them in order. As you reshape the passage by making revisions, you may inform your choices on later questions. For example, when choosing the “best conclusion”, it helps to have the rest of the passage well-focused and error-free!
• Make a prediction: Whenever possible, try to predict an answer to the question in your own words—before you look at the choices! This is especially helpful on questions in which multiple choices will be grammatically acceptable (e.g., Transitions). If you know what to look for before you start looking, you won’t be as vulnerable to misleading options. If one of the choices is similar to your prediction, you can select it and move on without being led astray—Trust yourself!
• Use Process of Elimination: While some choices may contain subtle errors that are difficult to identify, there’s a good chance a couple choices for each question will jump out at you as clearly wrong. Get yourself into the habit of crossing out these choices; elimination is a great way to get closer to the answer to a difficult question.